The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has dismissed allegations that its Chairman, Joash Amupitan, operates an X (formerly Twitter) account and made partisan posts, saying a forensic investigation has confirmed the claims are the result of digital impersonation.
In a statement issued on Monday, the commission said it carried out a comprehensive forensic probe into viral screenshots circulating on social media, including an independent review by a cybersecurity expert.
INEC said the investigation employed X platform data analysis, internet archive checks, open-source intelligence (OSINT) tools, identity forensics, and cross-platform verification.
According to the commission, findings showed that Amupitan does not operate any personal X account, and that all posts attributed to him were “fraudulent, forensically unverifiable, technically impossible, and part of a coordinated disinformation campaign.”
The report noted that the account in question, @joashamupitan, was created in September 2022 but had no linkage to the chairman’s verified email addresses.
It also revealed timestamp inconsistencies, including an alleged 2026 reply reading “Victory is sure,” which appeared 13 minutes before the original post it was said to respond to.
INEC further stated that searches on the Wayback Machine showed no archived record of the account prior to April 2026, while the alleged posts were absent from both live and archived versions of the thread.
‘Damage-control tactic’
The commission also highlighted suspicious activity on April 10, 2026—the day the screenshots went viral—claiming the account was renamed to @sundayvibe00, switched to private, and labelled as a parody.
“This is clearly a damage-control tactic by an impersonator seeking to eliminate a digital trail. The self-application of the ‘Parody’ label is an implicit admission that the account was never Prof. Amupitan’s genuine account,” the statement, signed by the Chairman’s media aide Adedayo Oketola, read.
INEC said it also identified at least seven fake Facebook and Instagram accounts using Amupitan’s name and photographs, describing it as part of a coordinated impersonation effort.
Email and phone claims debunked
The commission addressed claims linking the X account to Amupitan’s email and phone number, saying recovery and verification tests showed no connection.
“All attempts by malicious actors failed. The X platform would have confirmed linkage if any genuine association existed,” it said.
INEC confirmed that while the email address was verified through institutional and legal records, no forensic link was established between it and the disputed account.
On claims involving a phone number linked to a Bank Verification Number (BVN), the commission said such data does not prove social media ownership.
“A phone number appearing in BVN records cannot be used to establish ownership of a social media account. This is a logical fallacy, not forensic evidence,” it added.
‘Coordinated disinformation’
INEC said both its internal review and independent forensic analysis reached the same conclusion “with high confidence,” describing the incident as a coordinated disinformation campaign.
It urged the public to avoid sharing unverified screenshots, warning of rising risks from artificial intelligence, deepfakes, and digital manipulation.
The commission also said the forensic report has been forwarded to law enforcement agencies for investigation and possible prosecution under the Cybercrimes Act.
“Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan, SAN, does not operate any personal account on X platform,” the statement added.
The allegation had surfaced earlier from viral screenshots claiming the INEC chairman made a partisan post in support of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), sparking widespread reactions before the commission launched its probe.
